US 10,873,798 B1Granted

Detecting through-body inputs at a wearable audio device

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsBenjamin G. Jackson, Brenton A. Baugh, David H. Bloom, Gemma A. Roper, Karlin Y. Bark, Thomas S. Hulbert

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Abstract

The present disclosure describes systems, devices, and techniques related to a wearable audio device, such as an earbud or other device that is configured to detect inputs and change the operation of the wearable audio device in accordance with the inputs. In some embodiments, the wearable audio device is disposed in a structure and detects signals propagating through or within the structure. Various inputs may cause one or more signals to propagate through or within the structure, outside the structure, or some combination thereof. The wearable audio device may determine whether a detected signal was generated by an input and, if so, change its operation in accordance with the input.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A wearable audio device, comprising:

an enclosure;
a sealing component coupled to the enclosure and configured to engage an ear of a user, thereby forming a sealed passage between an ear canal of the ear and the enclosure;
a vibration sensor disposed in the enclosure and configured to:
detect, at the ear of the user, a first vibration transmitted from a first region of a head of the user other than the ear, through the head of the user and to the ear;
provide a first detection output in response to detecting the first vibration;
detect, at the ear of the user, a second vibration transmitted from a second region of the head of the user other than the ear, through the head of the user and to the ear;
and
provide a second detection output in response to detecting the second vibration;
an audio output device acoustically coupled to the ear canal by the sealed passage and configured to provide an audio output;
and
a processing unit operably coupled to the vibration sensor and the audio output device and configured to:
receive the first detection output and the second detection output from the vibration sensor;
determine that the first vibration was generated by a first gesture input received at the first region;
in response to determining that the first vibration was generated by the first gesture input, adjust the audio output in accordance with the first gesture input;
determine that the second vibration was generated by a second gesture input, different from the first gesture input, received at the second region;
and
in response to determining that the second vibration was generated by the second gesture input, adjust the audio output in accordance with the second gesture input.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/055,068Filed 4 Aug 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 11 Jun 2018
Granted: 22 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04R 1/1016
Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones: earpieces of the intra-aural type
G06F 3/011
Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer: arrangements for interaction with the…
G06F 3/017
Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer: gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a…
H04R 1/025
Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein: arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture

Family

Application62/683,571Us provisional application · filed 11 Jun 2018
US 10,873,798 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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